News Briefs

Quick-service restaurant customers look to one perk over all others when evaluating a loyalty program.

More than eight-in-10 (82%) QSR customers say discounts: 82% are a motivator to join a QSR chain’s loyalty program, and another 77% cite free items, clearly demonstrating cost savings are the top membership driver. 

QSR customers surveyed in the Alchemer "2026 Quick-Service Restaurant Study: Winning the Cost-Conscious Diner" also mentioned exclusive menu items (41%) and convenience (41%) as top motivators to enroll in a QSR membership program.

In addition, 38% of respondents say they would switch loyalty programs for better rewards, offers or deals, underscoring how value-driven today’s dining decisions have become.

The survey also reveals that 35% of respondents say points expire too quickly and 35% also say their loyalty weakens when value feels unfair or unclear. More than one-quarter (27%) cite app glitches as a major frustration and 22% say redeeming rewards is difficult.

[READ MORE: Survey: Value, better food driving changing restaurant preferences]

Other findings

• 85% of respondents say they are more likely to join programs that tailor rewards to their purchase history.
• 61% say artificial intelligence-generated suggestions are helpful.
• 44% say they don’t use loyalty programs every time because they "don't think about it.”
• 37% are unwilling to pay for a QSR loyalty subscription while only 28% currently do.

“Loyalty programs are no longer about earning perks or VIP status,” said Leslie Rich, Ph.D., research solutions expert, Alchemer. “Instead of a demonstration of love for the brand, loyalty programs have become financial tools.”

Alchemer’s Research Solutions organization surveyed 800 U.S. adults who had purchased from a quick-service restaurant in the past month and were current members of at least one QSR loyalty program. 

A Chicago-based fast-casual chain has tapped a new executive to oversee its future store expansion.

Portillo’s has named Jennifer Pecoraro-Striepling as its chief development officer. In this role, she will lead Portillo’s restaurant development strategy, including real estate and site selection, prototype design and construction, and will play a “key role” in advancing long-term expansion.

A Chicago native, Pecoraro-Striepling most recently served as chief development officer for Miller’s Ale House for the past year, where she was responsible for driving the development and expansion strategies. 

“Jennifer brings the experience, strategic vision, and people-first leadership we need as we continue to expand Portillo’s into new and key markets,” said Brett Patterson, who took the reins as president and CEO of Portillo’s last month following the departure of Michael Osanloo last fall. “We see tremendous opportunity ahead, and Jennifer’s proven ability to responsibly scale brands while protecting what makes them special gives us great confidence in our ability to accelerate growth and bring Portillo’s to even more communities.”

Prior to Miller’s, Pecoraro-Striepling served as chief development officer at Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux for two years, and previously held leadership roles at Papa Johns and Bloomin’ Brands.

“Portillo’s is a brand I grew up with in Chicago, so stepping into this role is both professionally exciting and personally meaningful,” said Pecoraro-Striepling. “The company has built something truly special over the years, and I’m looking forward to working with the team to grow the brand while preserving the experience and quality that guests love.”

[READ MORE: Portillo's offers 'Perks' with debut loyalty program]

Portillo’s operates more than 100 restaurants across 11 states. The chain is known for its menu of Italian beef sandwiches, Chicago-style hot dogs, char-broiled burgers, fresh salads, chocolate cake and more.

While all customers can shop Amazon's Big Spring Sale from March 25-31, members of the Prime paid subscription program will have access to Prime-exclusive discounts featuring the "Prime Spring Deal" badge. And members of the Prime for Young Adults program can earn a total of 10% cash back on products across apparel and beauty during Big Spring Sale.

[READ MORE: Amazon gets early jump on Valentine’s Day with promotional sale]

Internationally, customers can shop Big Spring Sale in Canada and for the first time in Mexico from March 25-31.

As Ikea continues to expand its footprint in the United States, it’s getting a big boost from certain groups.

New data from YouGov BrandIndex suggests that Ikea’s appeal is no longer being driven by budget shoppers, but increasingly by consumers entering key life stages and those with greater spending power. Two-fifths of those considering Ikea are aged 18–34 (41%), compared to 29% of all U.S. adults, according to YouGov.  

Affluent Americans are also slightly overrepresented. Eleven percent of Ikea considerers fall into high-income households, versus 9% of the general population.

[READ MORE: Ikea plots 10 new stores for 2026— here’s where]

YouGov found that value remains central to Ikea’s appeal. Of all the home furnishing and improvement retailers tracked by YouGov BrandIndex, Ikea ranks first among both 18-34s and higher-income consumers for “value scores.” (The value metric is a net score based on whether or not people think a brand represents good value for money.)

Among 18–34-year-olds, value scores  for Ikea have risen steadily, moving from 33.5 five years ago to 42.8 as of March 6 this year. Higher-income Americans show a similar trajectory, with Value perceptions rising from 32.1 in 2021 to over 40.  

“Even for consumers with higher purchasing power, the sense that Ikea offers good value appears to remain an important part of its appeal,” the study said. 

Part of what may also be fueling growing consideration among these two groups is an improving sentiment towards the brand. Among 18-34s, impression scores have strengthened over time, rising from the mid-30s in 2021 to roughly 40 in recent readings.  

Higher-income Americans have also shown rising positive sentiment. Impression scores for this group have climbed into the mid-30s, reflecting gradually strengthening perceptions of the brand among more affluent shoppers.

Urban Outfitters is partnering with a footwear giant for the latest version of its in-store concept.

Vans has been selected by the retailer for the revolving On Rotation program, which aims to showcase Gen Z's favorite brands in an immersive in-store setting. The installation will roll out across “key” Urban Outfitters locations following its debut at Herald Square (New York City), including San Diego Fashion Valley, Cherry Creek Shopping Center (Denver), Brea Mall (Brea, Calif.) and King of Prussia (King of Prussia, Pa.).

The shop-in-shop features custom-built structures integrating live camera feeds, campaign imagery and layered product moments featuring Vans products, including shoes, shirts, hats and accessories. The installment showcases musicians Thomas Day and Juliet Ivy, marking the first time the On Rotation series has incorporated music talent. 

Previous On Rotation brand collaborations have included Nike, Levi’s and Ugg.

"Vans is an iconic brand that our customers love, and we're excited to partner with them for On Rotation," says Bijon Javadzadeh, general merchandise manager of men's and footwear at Urban Outfitters. "With our customer at the center, experiences and brands like this help us excite Gen Z and meet their growing demand for head-to-toe styling."

[READ MORE: Urban Outfitters launches creator campaign; partners with Zara Larsson]

Founded in 1970, Urban Outfitters operates more than 200 stores across the U.S. States, Canada and Europe, as well as a digital presence.

Amazon is said to be considering making a permanent change in the timing of its signature — and biggest — annual sales event.

The online giant plans to move Amazon Prime Day from its traditional mid-July setting to late June, according to a report from Investing.com following up on original Bloomberg reporting. Major motivations for the change reportedly include having Prime Day occur in the second quarter of Amazon’s fiscal year rather than the third quarter, as well as capturing more back-to-school sales.

An Amazon spokesperson declined a Chain Store Age request for comment, and so far the retailer has not made any public statement about this reported timing shift for Prime Day. Amazon launched Prime Day as a one-day event in July 2015 and extended it to two days in July 2017.

The only two times Prime Day occurred outside of July were 2020, when it was pushed to October due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in 2021 when Amazon hosted the event in June as the economy was still in recovery from the pandemic. 

In July 2025, Amazon expanded Prime Day from two days to four days and exceeded projections with $24.1 billion in sales. 

[READ MORE: Three signals from a four-day Amazon Prime Day]

While the July timing of Prime Day has made it the unofficial kickoff to the holiday shopping season, the retailer also now hosts an annual two-day October sales event called Prime Big Deal Days, as well as several other early holiday promotions in October and November and a major Black Friday-Cyber Monday sales effort.

Numerous retailers, including top Amazon competitors such as Walmart and Target, host their own annual July sales events timed to overlap Prime Day. It remains to be seen if those promotions would also shift to late June.